Heredity

the passing of genetic traits from parent to offspring.

the trait observed in the first generation when parents that have different traits are bred.

a trait that reappears in the second generation after disappearing in the first generation when parents with different traits are bred.

One set of instructions for an inherited trait.

one of the alternative forms of a gene that governs a characteristic, such as hair color.

an organism’s appearance or another detectable characteristic.

the entire genetic makeup of an organism; also the combination of genes for one or more specific traits.

the likelihood that a possible future event will occur in any given instance of the event.

a process in cell division during which the number of chromosomes decrease to half the original number by two divisions of the nucleus, which results in the production of sex cells.

one of the pair of chromosomes that determine the sex of an individual.

a diagram that shows the occurrence of a genetic trait in several generations of a family.

deoxyribonucleic acid, a molecule that is present in all living cells and that contains the information that determines the traits that a living thing inherits and needs to live.

in a nucleic-acid chain, a subunit that consists of sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base.

a change in the nucleotide-base sequence of a gene or DNA molecule.

ribonucleic acid, a molecule that is present in all living cells and that plays a role in the protein product.